Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

In Nathaniel Theos’ The 51st State, the United States launches a surprise invasion of Canada under the pretext of securing water resources during a national drought crisis. General Samuel Dickson escapes from the destruction that wipes out much of Canada’s political leadership and puts the country under American control. Hidden beneath a remote Alberta cabin, Dickson assembles a covert resistance unit built around soldiers, intelligence operatives, and civilian cybersecurity specialists led in part by his niece Alexandra. While American forces tighten their control over the Canadian infrastructure, the group begins planning a secret operation designed to strike at the United States through its financial systems instead of the battlefield. As surveillance intensifies and intelligence agencies begin searching for those responsible, Dickson’s team must stay hidden long enough to complete a mission capable of reshaping the balance of power between the two countries.

The 51st State by Nathaniel Theos is a brilliant speculative thriller that takes chaos to a fabulous new level. An adept resistance group is secretly preparing a cyberattack capable of destroying the American financial system, and even an infamous, real-life hacktivist collective gets to play along. Among my favorite characters is Dickson, who takes responsibility for regular folks pulled into the resistance, and cybersecurity guru Tracy Gruet. Still, it is Alexandra who takes the lead in uploading malware, knowing discovery would mean execution. The settings are amazing, from a hidden bunker near Bellevue, Alberta, with descriptions of abandoned coal tunnels converted into command rooms, to a remote sanctuary in Laos, where the jungle canopy blocks surveillance aircraft. Intelligently and entertainingly written, with plenty of twists, this is the perfect fit for those who enjoy great military dystopian and cyberwarfare fiction. Very highly recommended.